It’s hard to find a vehicle not toting an oversized bike rack in the coastal city of Bellingham. The cycling craze might be justified, given Galbraith Mountain’s more than 70 miles of singletrack and the city’s network of scenic paved paths for cruising.

Throughout the early twentieth century, shops along Railroad Avenue moonlighted as brothels and Prohibition-era blind pigs. Local historians The Good Time Girls lead walking tours and tell tales of the city’s illicit past. Some signs remain on blocks known for brothels; look for red neon lettering above what’s now Avenue Bread.

Over the next 50 years, Bellingham plans to redevelop 237 acres of marshy, downtown-
adjacent waterfront property that once held Georgia-Pacific corporation’s pulp and tissue mill. For now, a shipping container village also includes a pump bike track, mini golf course, brewery, wine bar, and affordable housing.

With the city wrapped around its shoreline, Bellingham Bay acts as a hub for kayakers, whale watchers, and tide pool explorers. The dockside Marine Life Center educates on underwater residents with tanks of sea stars and anemones.

Steps away from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, where ferries take off for the Alaska Marine Highway, Fairhaven’s historic shopping village feels like a New England hamlet. Tight brick alleyways hide artisan shops like queer-owned Cafe Blue, and ivy climbs the original Victorian-era home of independent bookseller Village Books, now housed next door. 

For all its bespoke eateries, Bellingham’s dining scene also hints of—dare we say upgraded—Seattle establishments. The brains behind Frelard Tamales ventured north to brew Mexican lagers: Bellingham’s El Sueñito Brewing Company slings stuffed corn husks alongside its flagship Alebrijes lager. Bellingham boasts the original Aslan Brewing location with smashburgers and bowls that the Fremont outpost lacks. 

Downtown’s independent Pickford Film Center shows cult classics and fledgling indie films 365 days a year on two—soon to be five—screens, but its crown jewel capitalizes on one of Bellingham’s favorite genres: documentary. The annual Doctober festival brings a month of screenings and community events.